One of the nominees for Best Foreign Film at the 1977 Oscars, Jakob der Lügner (Jacob the Liar) tells the story of a man who lifts the spirits of an entire Jewish ghetto by pretending he has access to a secret radio. He starts spreading fake but hopeful news about a Soviet advance and the possibility of liberation. It’s essentially Life Is Beautiful, but instead of shielding just one child, Jakob’s lies end up giving hope to everyone around him.
The lies have an immediate effect, suicides stop, people begin to find some meaning in their days, and at its core, the film wrestles with whether a lie that brings comfort can be justified. The movie explores both sides of this debate, even if it never digs especially deep. One of the most interesting details is how some people who figure out Jakob is making it all up still choose to play along, aware of the immediate comfort it offers within the ghetto. In contrast, there’s a scene where a man asks to marry a young woman and gets turned down by her father, who is now making longer-term plans instead of living as if every day could be their last.
There are touching moments throughout, with the best probably being when Jakob’s niece figures out the truth. The film also gives a decent sense of life inside the ghetto, though it leaves a lot of the historical weight implied. It’s short and tightly paced, which helps the story stay focused, but it also means we don’t get to sit with some of the more powerful themes as much as we could have.
Still, the core idea is strong, and it’s easy to see why it was remade in the ’90s. Jacob the Liar may not be a standout in Holocaust cinema, but it still offers a moving take on the power of hope in desperate times.
- Where to watch
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- Original title
- Jakob der Lügner
- Director
- Frank Beyer
- Cast
- Vlastimil Brodský, Erwin Geschonneck, Henry Hübchen, Blanche Kommerell, Manuela Simon, Zsuzsa Gordon, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Friedrich Richter
- Screenwriter
- Frank Beyer, Jurek Becker
- Composer
- Joachim Werzlau
- Cinematography
- Günter Marczinkowsky
- Editor
- Rita Hiller
- Country
- Czechoslovakia
- Language
- German